GB732498A - Conditioning of beer in casks - Google Patents

Abstract

732,498. Beer conditioning. BOWNASS, K. A. Dec. 30, 1953 [Jan. 26, 1953], No. 2146/53. Class 49. Beer in a cask from which the beer is dispensed to the customer is kept in good condition by preventing escape of gas liberated from the beer, the top of the cask being connected to a supply of air or gas under pressure. In the top of a full cask of beer (10a) is inserted a spile tap 11 which is closed. The full cask is connected at the tap 11 by a flexible air delivery pipe 15, in which is a non-return valve 14 and a stop valve 16, with an air compresser 13. Connection to the cask is made with the stop valve 16 and the spile tap 11 both closed; on opening these taps to establish communication between the air compressor and the cask, there is no loss of beer gas, the air pressure maintaining the beer gas largely in solution. Beer gas is liberated from solution into the space 12 as the beer is drawn off (10b), and such gas, if insufficient to fill the whole of this space, will form a blanket 17 over the surface of the beer and prevent the air delivered from the compressor from coming into direct contact with the beer. This condition continues until the cask is empty (10c). The non-return valve 14 maintains the pressure in the casks if the compressor is temporarily shut off or the air pressure is temporarily reduced. Clean air is drawn into the compressor, air for the compressor being preferably admitted thereto through a surrounding filter 19.